Many of these tips seem simple on the face of it, but following them can really make a difference to your tender response. When the buyer scores your submission, you should be aiming for top marks, not average marks. These all important scores and the way in which they are weighted make the difference between a fair response and a winning tender.

How to write a tender that wins:

1. When the documentation is released, read it with a highlighter

Highlight key areas whether in soft or hard copy

This will help you identify points of importance that will inform the drafting of your responses

Also, make sure you read it when it is released – DO NOT put it in your “in tray” for a week or two….

2. If you have questions on the content of the tender document, raise them with the buyer.

It is better that you understand what they are saying and asking, rather than misinterpret their meaning

Are there any silly questions? No! If you have read the documentation thoroughly and your query remains, then it is a valid clarification to raise

During my time as a buyer many people did not raise clarifications, which resulted in their misunderstanding our questions and so not answering them correctly

Be mindful of the tone of the clarification, if information is missing or unclear in their document, raising an aggressive clarification does not create a good impression

3. Put a timetable together for completing your tender response

This enables you to work back from the deadline and allow sufficient time for proof reading before submitting

It will also help you to organise any other supporting information or details you need to write your tender

4. Consider colleagues and team members who may be able to contribute to the responses with you

Do you have customer facing members of staff who can provide useful examples and evidence?

5. Think about how you will make your response reader friendly?

Carefully consider how you are going to present the document

Are there page or word limits? Or restrictions on the fonts to be used?

Can you use images or screenshots?

6. Provide good, relevant evidence and proof from your experience in delivering your product or service in each of your responses

Telling them that this is what you do is not enough. Provide facts, figures, and relevant details about your experiences with other customers

A cut and paste from your brochure or website is not enough to gain good marks

Vicki Stewart leads the Tender Victory team, all of whom work on a flexible and responsive basis, to ensure that we always meet our clients’ needs and those all-important tender deadlines.
What drives Vicki is ensuring that she and the team deliver a high level of service at a price that is affordable to their clients.

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Tender Victory

About Us

Helping you win tenders

Vicki Stewart leads the Tender Victory team, all of whom work on a flexible and responsive basis, to ensure that we always meet our clients’ needs and those all-important tender deadlines. Everyone within the team is an experienced tender writer with a proven track record.